Puto-sikwate makes my day

I bowed down to my officemates when they insisted I should try the puto and sikwate near the Basilica of Santo Niño. The office is freezing cold I have to go out. Snacking on puto maya, sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and ginger, with its everlasting drink accompaniment sikwate (local version of hot chocolate) is a great respite.

Well, their version of puto is not the best nor the worst. The really hot sikwate is not like my Grandma's but could pass for a great merienda. 

Although unknown to me, but it seems that nook has regular patrons as evidenced by the slowly forming queue outside. However, one annoying habit most carenderias around the country is the use of cracked china. This one is not an exception.

If you want to try their puto maya and sikwate, go inside to that street near the Basilica where Chowking is and ask where you could find the puto. I believe they are known there. No signage is visible around.

Hot choco on a cracked cup. 

Ang binangkal ni Emie: A great and filling snack of the day

I do not know how other people call them, but here in the Visayas area, we call them Binangkal. Those fried mildly sweet balls of flour coated with sesame seeds we love to have as a snack or in my case, breakfast.

I am quite intrigue at how they are made and what are its ingredients since they are really my favorite. I found out lately, after being invited to observe, that making binangkal is quite easy. I am planning to make mine when I have the time.

All you need are these ingredients: a high grade flour for best results, about 5 cups; baking powder, about 5 teaspoonful; brown sugar, 2 cups or more if you want them super sweet; some eggs, about two or three; a cup of evaporated milk and some vanilla drops.

Mix the eggs and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Pour in the vanilla (why not try lemon drops?) for some flavoring. Add flour and fold them well. If the flour hardens, add some milk until well mixed. Form into small balls, about the size of ping pong balls, and roll them over the sesame seeds.

Heat a pan of vegetable oil and put in the balled flour. Wait for them to turn golden brown and then shake off excess oil. Better put them in paper towels so that the excess oil are absorbed by the towels.

Your binangkal should be ready to eat. A good cup of coffee or a cold fruit juice goes well with the binangkal.

Enjoy.

We cannot live by coffee alone

Man does not live by coffee alone. Have danish.

And in my case, a local pastry or puto.

We call that pastry a bagumbayan. I don't know why that pastry is connected with the "new town" but it reminded me when we were very young, as in when I was seven, Nong Pokyo displayed them at his sarisari store and call them "smuggle", referring to the smuggled slippers in the early days. Yes, they used to be the size of slippers and up to now I still find them yummy.

And while sipping the cafe au lait (the usual coffee with Milo, pero cafe au lait para sosyal ang dating) I wished for the puto (steamed ricecakes) my mother prepared for us during the Halloween break. Lami!

Snack

I don't know if it came from my childhood memory of picking young mangoes over my neighbor's fence. Or climbing on our own siniguelas in the backyard. But eating fruits, especially those that are too sour or just sour with a pinch of rock salt was our way of life. Now, a little salt to sliced apples seems to rock and too good to be rejected as a great snack.

To some it may sound different. But try it. It is good.

APPLE + SALT = GOOD SNACK!

Anti-Aging Tips from an Aging Man :p

At the age of 40, most people would ask me why I am still younger looking. It's quite flattering really but they don't know I can see the difference between young and old. And I feel old!

My joints would ache every once in a while. My knees would fail me sometimes. Even my mind would deny me of the precious name I should have known right at the moment when I needed it. My hairs are getting grey each day. And everything comes in yellow! My teeth for one are no longer the whitest white despite using whitening toothpastes. My eyes are also yellower than before. I am not talking of jaundice here or hepatitis. The eyes just turned yellow. Even my skin is getting yellower! My doctor says it's part of the aging process. But why yellow?

This is perhaps the purpose of antioxidants. They make the skin whiter or fairer to be exact. And so the Pinoys craving to be "white" has been answered.

But to be safe from the evils of bad chemicals, it all comes down to intelligent choices. And intelligent means just that.

Snacking to a healthy life

This one is a nice read. I don't know who Dr. Mao is but I just find his article very substantial in making us getting younger despite the age. And I don't just mean me.

Snacking often gets a bad rap, but if you make intelligent choices about what you eat, you can actually benefit your health and longevity. Read on to find out how!

Why Snacks?
Most of us are used to eating three times a day, but it is much healthier to eat smaller meals more frequently -f ive small meals a day, for instance. Eating in this way delivers a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day and is also much less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems.

And when you eat more small meals throughout the day, you will most likely avoid the pitfalls of overindulging at your next meal and may actually consume fewer total calories for the day.

Keep healthy "grab-and-go" snacks on hand all the time to avoid the tempting lure of high-calorie snacks. Here are my top five snack choices:

1. Nuts and Seeds Keep You Young
Healthy and appetizing, nuts and seeds are absolutely the best snack of the bunch. Helping yourself to a handful of nuts and seeds every day can improve circulation and muscle tone.

And nuts and seeds are especially full of arginine, an amino acid that helps to combat heart disease, impotence, infertility, and high blood pressure, and it also facilitates the healing process. Additionally, arginine can stimulate the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.

The pituitary releases growth hormones, which begin to decline quickly in humans after age 35. This means that after 35, your hormones start to plunge and you experience some aging symptoms. The skin loses elasticity, the muscle loses mass and strength, the lean body tissue decreases, fertility and virility decrease, and other signs of aging start to set in.

Many nuts and seeds are rich sources of vitamin E, lignants and omega-3 fatty acids, which protect you from heart disease and also from the ravages of aging.

Almonds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, and pistachios: mix them in any combination and enjoy! Keep in mind that there are more nutrients in the raw form than roasted. Make sure that the nuts and seeds are fresh and not old and rancid.

2. An Apple a Day for Heart Health
There are many reasons to eat an apple - or two or three - every day. One study discovered that subjects who ate five apples or more a week had a healthier lung function than those who ate no apples.

And scientists have confirmed that apples also contribute to a healthy heart. Thanks to the fruit's rich pectin content, eating two to three apples per day leads to decreased cholesterol levels. Pectin also helps prevent colon cancer, one of the top causes of death in adults over age sixty.

3. Bring On the Berries
In season again, berries are bursting with antioxidants. The enticing red, purple, and blue skins of berries contain bioflavonoids, antioxidant compounds that reduce free radical damage.

These flavonoids are more potent antioxidants than vitamins C and E, and they also help to reduce inflammation - more effectively even than aspirin!

• Blueberries are your best pick because not only do they have the highest level of antioxidant activity, but they also possess powerful neuroprotective properties that shield brain cells from damage , helping to slow down the age-related onset of memory loss, Alzheimer's, and senility.

• Cherries also contain these beneficial anthocyanin compounds, which stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin. In fact, Chinese researchers have observed that cherries help keep diabetics healthy. These compounds also protect you against cancer, arthritis, and heart disease because they lower cholesterol.

To learn more about the health benefits of berries, click here.

4. Avocado: Packed with Nutrients
Among the many antioxidant nutrients, glutathione is known as the "master antioxidant." This naturally occurring compound, found in avocados (as well as asparagus, walnuts, and fish), is made up of the three amino acids glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. Glutathione regulates immune cells, protects against cancer, and assists in detoxifying.

A deficiency in glutathione can play a part in diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, low sperm count, and premature aging. Avocados are also a source of L-cysteine, which helps protect your body from the harmful effects of pollution, chemicals, radiation, alcohol, and smoke. L-cysteine may also help boost immunity, protect you from heart disease, and build muscle. It is also useful for combating inflammation and encouraging healthy hair and nail growth.

Pair your avocado with whole-grain crackers or whole-grain crisp breads for a fiber-rich tasty treat.

5. Apricots for Anti-Aging
One of the staple foods of the famously long-lived centenarians in the Hunza valley of the Himalayas is the apricot. Research has discovered that apricots have the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids of any food.

Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer.

I hope you find the ways to nourish your body with healthy snacks! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!


(Two ladies on this blog are my lolas from my father's side: Felicidad Jamero- 102 years old; Anania Molina- 92 years old)